


It Beat's Looking Up WikiHows, Right?

by Maroonedpunk



Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Best Friends, Discovery, Exploring Sexuality, First Kiss, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-12
Updated: 2017-09-12
Packaged: 2018-12-27 03:02:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,266
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12072285
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maroonedpunk/pseuds/Maroonedpunk
Summary: Tyler wants to get a headstart on dating, and makes a big mistake. Good thing Josh is there to help him out.





	It Beat's Looking Up WikiHows, Right?

**Author's Note:**

> Based on a true story, because I'm an idiot.

“Josh, can I get some advice?” Tyler plops down on the couch next to his best friend and sighs dramatically, flopping down across Josh’s lap. With a chuckle, Josh pushes Tyler off of him and pats his shoulder.

“Sure, dude. Tell Joshie what’s going on.”

“Okay. Well. You remember when I told you I was going hiking? Alone?”

Josh nods. “Yeah, I remember that. Because it was yesterday. You were all gross and sweaty and smelled terrible.”

Tyler rolls his eyes. “Wow, I have the best roommate in the whole wide world.”

“Hell yeah, you do. Come on, continue.” 

He was lucky, really, to have Josh as his roommate. Tyler had five total, living in the same apartment as him, but Josh slept in the same room as him. They were the only two that weren’t from out of state, and Josh slept like a normal person-- no snoring, (well, occasionally he snored, but Tyler would let that slide) no sleep talking, no sleep walking,  _ and _ they tended to go to bed and get up for class at the same time. Josh was the perfect roommate.

Tyler takes a deep breath. It was only the second month of his freshman year of college and he liked to believe he and Josh were pretty close. They had connected instantly the first day they met and were conjoined at the hip from there on out. “Well, I did go hiking, but not... alone.”

Josh raises an eyebrow and nudges Tyler playfully. “Ooh, yeah? Who did you go hiking with?”

“A uh, a girl.” Tyler’s face flushes red. “Her name is Jenna. We... this is really sorta stupid, but bear with me.”

“Okay, sure. I’m all ears.”

“I... downloaded this... dating app,” Tyler seriously can’t believe he’s telling Josh this, “and her and I, we connected.”

Josh’s pupils blow wide. “Holy shit Tyler, did you download  _ Tinder?” _

“What? No!” Tyler shakes his head rapidly. “No! I just, I was desperate, okay? I wanted to find a girl to go out with because everyone here, even you, all of you are so experienced when it comes to relationships and I wanted to get a head start. That’s all. I wasn’t looking for... sex, I just wanted to hang out with someone I knew had interest in me.”

“Okay,” all of Josh’s attention is still on him, and it makes Tyler feel significantly better about this weird situation, “when you say ‘experienced,’ what are we talking about here?”

“Look. I--” Tyler has to pause again to catch his breath. “I never dated anyone in high school. I mean, I didn’t even go to a  _ real _ high school, I was homeschooled. I’ve never held hands with a girl that wasn’t my mom or my sister, and I’ve definitely never kissed anyone. And I was worried, okay? Worried about starting college because everyone was going to be way ahead of me. I’m almost nineteen years old and I hadn’t kissed a girl.”

“Oh, dude, that’s okay! I didn’t have my first kiss until senior prom, and even then, it was pretty damn weird. It all just depends on the right moment. Some people have it earlier, most have it later in life, and that’s okay!”

Tyler doesn’t stop to ponder Josh’s words of advice. “Anyways, so, Jenna and I made the connection. She messaged me first, being all flirty and stuff, and I, being ever so awkward, tried to flirt back. She told me I was adorable.”

“So far so good, right?”

“Yeah. She, she’s in a sorority, and lives on the other side of campus. She’s a sophomore, but, I don’t know. I liked talking to her. Things felt normal, and I felt like I could also be normal and have a chance at being like the rest of you. I mean, Brendon found a frickin’ girlfriend like the second week of school!”

“Brendon is super charming, though. He’s like a snake. His eyes are hypnotizing. He can get literally  _ anyone _ into his pants.”

Tyler puts his head into his hands. “This has been bothering me so much the past forty-eight hours.”

Josh sympathetically squeezes Tyler’s shoulder. “Continue the story bud, and I’ll see what I can do.”

A sigh. Tyler sits up. “Okay. So we decide to go hiking. Which we did. Or, tried to do. But the trail was super long and boring so we ended up turning around at the halfway point. And things were super nice and fun. Like I said, talking with her came easy. Anyway, afterward, I drove us to the gas station for drinks and then we went back to her place, since she had her own room. And everyone seemed super nice, and like, expecting me to be there, or something. I guess she probably had told her roommates about me.”

“That sounds legit,” Josh agrees.

“Anyway, she puts on a movie and we sit on her bed. It’s quiet, except for the occasional comment, and then she sees me yawn, and says, ‘Am I that boring?’ Of course, she’s not boring, I’m just really frickin’ tired, so I tell her no, and she tells me to scoot up farther up the bed. So I do. Our arms are touching. My heart is beating a mile a minute. And then, she leans over and kisses me.”

Josh breaks out into a round of applause. “Shit, dude! That’s awesome!”

Tyler shakes his head. “No. I start laughing because I’m so... weirded out, I guess? I don’t know how I was feeling. So she pulls off and looks at me funny and asks me what’s wrong. I don’t want to tell her that I’ve never kissed anyone before, because I’m afraid she’ll think I’m a loser, so I tell her nothing, and we go back to kissing. I’m sort of just, barely moving my lips, because I don’t know how to kiss, and then, she pulls off again and tells me she has condoms.”

“Shit.”

“Yeah, shit. I tell her I should probably get going because I have a lot of homework to do and it’s due at midnight. And then, I basically bolted out of there. I ran all the way home, my palms were clammy, my head hurt, and I, I felt so  _ weird. _ Like, I wasn’t turned on, or whatever. Kissing her was... nothing.”

“Hmm.” Josh taps his fingers against his chin. “Well, like, maybe you weren’t attracted to her.”

“That’s the thing though, I thought she was super pretty! But like, kissing her, I don’t know. It kinda grossed me out. I didn’t like it. And now, I think about kissing girls in general, and it... I don’t want to do it. I especially don’t want to have sex with anyone. I feel like a strange, freak of nature.”

“Okay, well, have you ever...” Josh makes a gesture with his hand near his crotch and Tyler ducks his head. 

“Yes, I have. Hasn’t anybody?”

“Right.” Josh reaches for Tyler’s shoulders again and holds them tightly. “Tyler, you don’t have anything to be ashamed of. Some people don’t feel the same way as others. We’re all different. And who knows, maybe you aren’t like, sexually attracted to girls. Have you ever thought about boys... like that? Or thought about your sexuality at all?”

Tyler thinks about it and shrugs. “I guess not. When did you realize you were bisexual?”

Josh stretches obnoxiously and submerges farther into the couch cushions. “High school. It started with one particular guy. Jayden Parker. He was tall, flawless, and the nicest person I had never met. I found myself wanting to... make out with him. I had dreams of the two of us taking our clothes off and doing... you know. And it sort of freaked me out at first. I didn’t tell anyone because I was ashamed. Today though, I could care less what people think of me. That kind of stuff takes time. That’s what college is all about! Finding yourself.”

“I guess. But what if I kiss a guy and feel the same way? What then?”

“Then you don’t like kissing and that’s completely fine. Maybe you’ll have to find that one special person that will change everything for you.”

“Huh. Maybe.” Tyler takes a moment to study Josh’s face. He remembers the first time he saw Josh, on move in day. His hair was bright yellow and he was wearing a ball cap as he put the sheets on his bed. Tyler had been a bit mesmerized by the boy with the yellow hair, especially when he turned around, because Josh had a nose ring and plugs in his ears and looked like the last person his parents would ever let him hang out with. Even though Josh looked intimidating, he was a big sweetheart. He loved space, cats, movies, and tacos, and had a beautiful smile and a spray of freckles across his nose and his shoulders. Whenever Josh changed clothes, Tyler had to tear his gaze away. He was jealous Josh was so... in shape.

It hits him like a smack in the face. Tyler didn’t wish he  _ was _ Josh. He wished he was  _ with _ Josh.

“What’s it like to kiss a boy?” He asks, refusing to make eye contact. Josh clucks his tongue.

“It’s pretty much the same thing, really. Just a little scratchy since we got facial hair.” Josh chuckles to himself and puts his hands behind his head. “You could use that dating app to find a guy you might be interested in and see what it’s like to kiss him.”

“Nah. I think I’m going to delete that. It’s not doing anything for me.” In fact, Tyler unlocks his phone and deletes the app right there and then. Josh nods.

“Tyler, I don’t want you to stress out about this, okay? Take your time. We all adapt and get used to things differently. It might take you longer to figure yourself out, but that’s okay!”

Tyler sighs. “Thanks.”

“And if it would help, I could show you what it’s like to kiss a boy.”

Tyler perks up. His eyes widen, and he looks at Josh oddly. Did his roommate just suggest what he thinks Josh just suggested? “What?”

“I can show you. That way, you’ll be more prepared for next time, girl or boy. And maybe the kissing won’t be as strange.”

“Oh. Okay. Yeah, sure.” He turns towards Josh and lets his roommate adjust his body where it needs to be.

“Okay, so a lot of times your hands will sort of rest awkwardly by your sides. If the person is alright with it, you can touch their hips.” Josh’s hands ghost over the top of Tyler’s as he moves them to his waist. Tyler feels his heart thumping against his ribcage as he sinks his fingers into the fabric of Josh’s t-shirt. “That makes things a lot less awkward, right?”

“Yeah,” whispers Tyler.

“Okay. So, when you kiss someone, the thing is, it  _ is _ weird. You’re exchanging saliva and making weird slurpy noises and stuff. But when you really like a person, you can’t get enough of them. You keep kissing because the touch is nice and it feels good. A nice, warm feeling spreads throughout your body, like you’re standing at a campfire.”

“Campfire,” repeats Tyler.

“And you’ll want to sort of tilt your head so your noses don’t bump. If that makes sense.” Josh tilts his head and gestures for Tyler to do the same. “Also, close your eyes. It makes things a little weird if you don’t.”

“Right.”

“Then you sort of just... lean in.” Josh’s lips are inches away from Tyler’s. He feels himself start to sweat again. Tyler doesn’t want to make things awkward with Josh. He doesn’t want things to be like they were with Jenna either. “You gotta make sure that they’re okay with it first. And Jenna should have done that too. Uhm, be soft at first. You wouldn’t just jump into the deep end of a pool without knowing how to swim, so do that with kissing. Don’t use the tongue right away. Just... do what feels natural.”

“What feels natural.” Tyler takes a deep breath and gently skids his lips across Josh’s. A row of goose bumps rises up his arms. “Woah,” he laughs.

Josh smiles. “Yeah?” 

“Yeah. Okay. Uhm.” Tyler leans back in, this time treading in the waters a little bit longer. Josh’s grip on his waist tightens, and out of surprise, Tyler knocks his forehead against Josh’s. He pulls away again. “Shit! Sorry!”

Josh rubs at the sore spot on his head and chuckles. “It’s okay. This is practice, right? Just, go slowly. If it feels wrong, or you start to panic, pull away. This is your time to figure out what you like.”

“What I like.” Tyler nods. He goes back in, kissing the corner of Josh’s mouth. Josh’s lips part a little, and Tyler finds himself holding on a little longer, kissing his top lip, so when they pull away, Tyler can definitely tell there is saliva involved. Josh wasn’t wrong on that part. But with Josh... things don’t feel weird. They feel... okay. Definitely not how they felt with Jenna.

Five minutes pass before Tyler pulls away this time. His stomach has this strange warmth in it, and Josh’s face is bright red. “You feel more prepared now?”

“Can we--” Tyler feels like he’s about to pass out. He loves it. He  _ loves  _ kissing Josh. “Can we do that again sometime?”

Josh laughs. He kisses Tyler’s cheek. “I’d love to.”


End file.
